Do You Budget?

[rusty@saving]

Re: Do You Budget?

i immediately take $100 for all my expenses for the week out in $10 bills. i get payed weekly, so it is better for me to budget.
i do all my grocery shopping on friday, and get everything i need, with a list and stick to the list. i get lunch supplies to save $.
i used to fill up my gass tank all the way on friday, but i have a new system. it is kind of a pain, but it REALLY helps me budget. i only frive a total of 1 1/2 miles to work every day, and for the week it is about 150. so with a gas station right near my home, i put 1 gallon of gas in the tank every morning instead of putting $20 in at the beginning of the week.
with the low amount of driving i do, i usually end up with a lot of extra $ left over and my tank around 1/2 full at the end of the week due to the fact that i am putting in more gas than i am driving, and having more $ to budget for the week instead of being broke and struggling all week long.
it also means less to put in the next week, and more savings.
i put the rest of the $ in my account and pay bills out of it, then at the end of the month i put what is left in savings.

[LuxLiving]

Re: Do You Budget?

Budget Man, I tried Quicken and found it complicated things more. I was forever having to get the book out and read how to do something. I like Jesse's You Need A Budget, but hey I guess I've said that before, huh?

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Do You Budget?

nobody plans to fail
they just fail to plan

That's a wonderful quote, by the way.

[momx5]

Re: Do You Budget?

I use Quicken and track my spending daily. This month, we are recording every cent that we spend. The result? We're very careful with the money. AND, I see DH not spending as much as I thought.

Planning isn't done as much as it should be, although the extras (music, choir, trips etc.) are planned for so that when a cheque comes out, the money is saved before it is needed.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Do You Budget?

I budget all the 'obligation' categories, then I see what is left in an average month, then we aim to spend less than that.

I wouldn't call it strict, I am pretty easy going (get overtime, buy more groceries, get gift money, go out to eat) but so long as the 'obligations' (and I don't mean needs, phone is an obligation, I agreed to pay it so I will, but I do not need it-same with auto saving, and tithing, ect) are paid, the rest is for us to buy food, gas, gifts, and treats.

[Aleta]

Re: Do You Budget?

I just started using Quicken and I do find it confusing. For instance, if I transfer money from my money market mutual fund on one day, Quicken automatically enters it on the same day into the other account. Usually, it doesn't come out of the other account until the next day. The banks are using so many different terms now. Quicken uses ETF. Is that just for payments or can I use it for transfers as well. I have no problem transferring from the same bank into another account.

Also, I don't like the way they do the investments. It's not a true picture or maybe I'm doing something wrong. I have heard others say that they like Microsoft money better. Any suggestions?

[The Budget Man]

Re: Do You Budget?

I was so fed up with some of the big budgeting programs that I wrote my own. Then my friends found out and started using it and making suggestions and it simply grew till today it's used in over 42 countries in all sorts of currencies and as soon as we think we have it nailed down someone comes up with a good idea of how to improve it.
Have any of you done something similar?